I have found older paper pictures new to my blog from the wonderful Château of Versailles !, I like to include these in my blog even if quality will not be tops. We were always on the run in Versailles, and many times as friend of the castle just came in and out took quick pictures of the rooms and went out the garden back in my walking warrior mode !, My nostalgic memorable Versailles is worth a kingdom indeed ! Therefore, let me tell you a bit about the curiosities of Versailles, part VI !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
For starter, Versailles is the capital City of the dept 78 of Yvelines, in the Île de France region of my belle France, The Château de Versailles is 63 154 sq meters of superficie (almost 16 acres) with 50 000 open to the public,130 000 sq meters of rooftiles, 2300 rooms, 1944 windows, 352 chimneys, 67 stairs, Inside 2900 furniture and objects of art, 7000 paintings, 1500 designs, 17000 engravings, 2100 sculptures, and 6000 old books, In the garden 55 basins, 600 water jets, 350 000 trees, 1500 orange trees, 350 000 flowers planted every year, Normal years can have 15 million visitors ! The creators of Versailles are Jules Hardouin Mansart, the architect, Charles Le Brun, painter /decorator, André Le Nôtre the gardener, Ange Jacques Gabriel the master builder, Robert de Cotte, the architect after Mansart, Richard Miqué, the last architect.
The center of the palace of Versailles is the kings’ Apartments, You have a nice big door to start your visit, The bedroom of the King in the oldest part of the palace that gives to the cour de Marbre, it was in 1701 that Louis XIV comes here with especially the public part where the few guest were invited and the private space for him,From 1737 the king does not use than for sleep, One of the few rooms in the palace that was not change, It was from the balcon that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette spoked to the people of Paris , The symbolic place tells us of where the absolute monarchy was started, and where it ended.
The two parterre d’eau or water spouts appear to be an extension of the palace facade. Several times modified, this set only received its final form in 1685. Each basin has four lying statues representing the rivers of France, accompanied by nymphs and children. In 1668, the Grand Parterre welcomed, on both sides of the degree descending to the parterre de Latone, The parterre d’eau was replaced by a new composition made up of two large basins distributed on both sides of a large central alley, so as to restore the continuity of the great perspective. The birth of Venus and the triumph of Tethys surrounded by the groups of the allegories of rivers and their main tributaries such as Garonne and the Dordogne, the Seine and the Marne ; the Loire and the Loiret, formerly call the Allier, the Rhône and the Saône, All surrounded by the La Nymphe and Zéphyr and the Nymphe and Love , and the Nymphe and young triton , and Nymphe and child holding a bird, the Nymphe and child with conque ,and nymphe and child in the trident with the Nymphe and love holding a quiver and the Nymphe and love holding a garland of flowers, Last November 2022, the bronzes of the water floor changed in 1851 founded their original locations !
The official Château de Versailles on the king apartments: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/palace/king-state-apartment
The official Château de Versailles on the parterres and gardens : https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/gardens/parterres-and-paths#the-water-parterre
The Versailles tourist office on the suggested sites in the palace: https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/les-10-incontournables.html
There you go folks, I came and went to the gorgeous architecturally stunning ,historical Château de Versailles !, the town is worth a detour as well , This is a wonderful piece of the best history of France, and I am glad happy to have lived there,. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the curiosities of Versailles, part VI as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 